The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) has supported calls for vendor disclosure law reform that assist with buyers of old residential properly that may contain asbestos.

The NSW Ombudsman recently recommended the changes to Parliament in a report titled Asbestos: How NSW government agencies deal with the problem.

NECA chief executive Suresh Manickham says the new scheme would be in place to notify potential tenants, real estate agents and electrical contractors.

“The introduction of a scheme to certify the presence or otherwise of asbestos in older homes constructed prior to 1987 will address this very serious safety issue,” Suresh says.

“While this recommendation assists to protect potential purchasers, tenants and real estate agents, it also helps electrical contractors, who are often called upon to undertake work inside roofs where asbestos contamination can be found.

“The Mr Fluffy Loose-fill asbestos contamination experience that affected more than 30,000 people across homes in NSW and the ACT from the late 1960s has demonstrated that merely removing loose-fill asbestos from a ceiling cavity does not remove the ongoing hazard.”

Suresh also says that the recommendations should be put into place as it will reduce exposure to asbestos in residential settings which will result in a number of lives saved and a reduction in public health costs.

It has also been recommended that it should be put together with Home Electrical Safety Audits and Home Energy Audits, two policies proposed by NECA that will provide the public with information regarding property safety and energy efficiency.